These products will include garment scissors, surgery scalpels and industrial blades, along with eco-friendly products in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Another key growth engine that will keep the company's sales soaring at the rate of over 50 percent annually will be Chinese consumers' diversified needs for knives and scissors, according to Xia.

According to the government report of Yangjiang, in Guangdong province, where 70 percent of the country's knives and scissors are manufactured, the domestic cutlery industry had reached a size of over 70 billion yuan by 2018.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, nearly one-third of the time-honored brands, including centuries-old scissor maker Wangmazi, no longer exist.

She remembered how she would always carry a pair of scissors and be on the lookout for materials.

With activities close to residents' lives as a starting point, focusing on the actual needs of residents in the area, the campaign included services such as sharpening knives and scissors, haircuts, ironing and modification of clothes, blood pressure and blood sugar measurement, car washing, and recycling of books and old clothes.

Hub for knives, scissors to expand ties with foreign firms for stable developmentYangjiang in Guangdong province is sitting on a myriad of opportunities to consolidate its status as a major global production base for high-quality knives and scissors, and cooperate further with the rest of the world, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement.

The coastal city in western Guangdong is sparing no effort to expand exchanges with overseas entities to further develop its knives and scissors industry.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's hardware, knives and scissors industry has developed rapidly, with market entities increasing to nearly 10,000 households in recent years following deepened reform and openingup policies, according to Yu Jinfu, deputy Party secretary and mayor of Yangjiang.

In 2022, the export volume of Yangjiang's hardware, knives and scissors increased by 48.7 percent compared to that in 2019, demonstrating the strong resilience and vitality of the key growth sector, he said.

Yangjiang, which has a history of more than 1,400 years making knives and scissors, is now known as "capital of Chinese knives and scissors" and has formed large-scale industrial clusters for the same with a complete industrial chain and diverse product categories.

The city is also known as the "export base of Chinese knives and scissors" and "a global procurement base of Chinese knives and scissors".

"Yangjiang will value openness and sharing with the rest of the world and expand cooperation with foreign firms to accelerate its high-quality development and high-level opening-up in the following months," Yu said at the opening ceremony of the 22nd China International Hardware Knives and Scissors Fair held in the city in late October.

According to official statistics, Yangjiang's annual production of hardware, knives and scissors has exceeded 55 billion yuan ($7.86 billion), accounting for about 70 percent of China's total and 85 percent of its export value.

The city's hardware, knives and scissors products are now sold to more than 130 countries and regions, mostly to developed nations and regions.

Chen Xiaofeng, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Guangdong Committee, said the hardware, knives and scissors sector is a pillar industry in Yangjiang that plays a big part in the city's economic development.

"With the fair continually improving its professionalization, marketization and internationalization, it has now become the world's largest hardware, knives and scissors exhibition and one of Guangdong's seven major professional exhibitions that helps link Yangjiang to the rest of the world," he said.

Chen said his council will deepen cooperation with Yangjiang to promote the city's hardware, knives and scissors industry to achieve green development, digital empowerment and intelligent transformation in the future.

Major Chinese knives and scissors makers attending the fair spared no effort to expand exchanges and cooperation with their foreign counterparts, particularly those from BRI-involved and RCEP member countries and regions.

Zhong said the knives and scissors industry has broad development prospects.

"Many households now use knives with different functions to deal with different kinds of foods in their kitchens, making the market for knives and scissors bigger," he added.

Knives and scissors can also be made into handicrafts and gifts, he said.

"Compared to big-name foreign knives and scissors, domestic products that can compete with foreign products in terms of quality lack in popularity," he added.

"Yangjiang's knives and scissors are of good quality and have a wide range.

I can always buy the right products in the city," said Niaz, who has attended the China (Yangjiang) International Hardware Knives and Scissors Fair more than 10 times.

Zhong Min, chairman of Yangjiang-based Guangdong Jinhui Knife and Scissors Inc, said Yangjiang's companies have great potential to expand cooperation with Southeast Asia and the BRI markets.

Covering an exhibition floor space of more than 20,000 square meters, the 22nd China (Yangjiang) International Hardware Knives and Scissors Fair aimed to further advance global exchanges and cooperation in the industry.

China's major knives and scissors makers, including Shibazi, Zhangxiaoquan and Wangmazi, also set up booths at the fair, aiming to seek new partnerships with foreign counterparts.

In addition to knives and scissors, special household items and other kitchen supplies, the exhibits included stainless steel products, daily hardware, steel tools, construction hardware, horticultural equipment, packaging and decoration materials and hardware machinery.

The 22nd China International Hardware Knives and Scissors Fair kicked off in Yangjiang, Guangdong province, on Thursday, aiming to further advance global exchange and cooperation in the industry.

China's major knife and scissors makers, including Shibazi, Zhangxiaoquan and Wangmazi, also set booths at the fair, aiming to boost their brands and seek new partnerships with Sino-foreign counterparts.

In addition to knives and scissors, special household items and other kitchen supplies, exhibits include stainless steel products, daily hardware, steel tools, construction hardware, horticultural equipment, packaging and decoration materials and hardware machinery and equipment.

With the fair continually improving its professionalization, marketization and internationalization, the event has now become the world's largest hardware, knife and scissors exhibition, according to Chen Xiaofeng, chairman of Guangdong Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Yu Jinfu, deputy Party chief and mayor of Yangjiang, said that the city's hardware, knife and scissors industry has witnessed a rapid development in recent years, thanks to the influence of the fair.

With a history of more than 1,400 years of knives and scissors production, Yangjiang has become known as a "capital of knives and scissors", and has formed a large-scale hardware, knives and scissors industrial cluster with a complete industrial chain and diverse product categories.

According to official statistics, Yangjiang's annual hardware, knives and scissors industrial production has exceeded 55 billion yuan ($7.86 billion), accounting for about 70 percent of China's total and 85 percent of the country's exports.

The city's hardware, knives and scissors products are now sold to more than 130 countries and regions worldwide.

The mascot dolls are cut by workers using electric scissors instead of laser tailoring machines to reduce air pollution.

The scissors difference between overdue loans and non-performing loans fell by 39.1 percent to 39.6 billion yuan in the first half.